This easy raw flourless chocolate cake truly lives up to its name! No flour, no baking, and so easy to make. Just rich, flavorful chocolatey goodness made with simple ingredients.
I made this for my mom’s birthday a few years ago and chose to keep it simple for the occasion — just dressed it with some cacao nibs and salt flakes (because salted chocolate and I were having a long moment back then…). It’s since become a blog favorite recipe, and for a reason — who can resist all this fuss-free chocolatiness, right? ;)
I can see so much potential in dressing this cake up in terms of other flavors and toppings — like adding some orange flavor, or maybe adding in some coconut and topping with coconut shavings, adding in or topping with some fresh berries (oooh, flourless raspberry chocolate cake?) or dried fruit, etc. You get the drift, I imagine… ;)
While not quite a conventional cake, and maybe even brownie-like in some ways, it’s always an enjoyable treat to share with others. The chocolate layer on top seals the deal, providing a lot of richness and flavor to the cake. It’s always been a crowd pleaser around here. And of course, as always, I love that it suits so many different diets and special needs (as it’s gluten-free, vegan, paleo & grain-free, raw, etc.).
P.S. For another variation of this recipe, check out this Fig and Chocolate Flourless Cake.
Easy Raw Flourless Chocolate Cake
Prep Time: 15 minutes- Total Time: 15 minutes
Yield: 6" round cake
Category: Cake
Method: No-Bake
Cuisine: Dessert
Print Recipe
Pin RecipeDescription
An easy no-bake flourless chocolate cake recipe topped with a layer of salted chocolate shell. Easily make it raw by using raw cacao. Naturally gluten-free and paleo friendly.
Ingredients
Cake:
- 3 cups almond flour
- 2 cups pitted medjool dates (presoaked and strained*)
- ¾ cup cocoa powder
- ¼ cup maple syrup (or a raw liquid sweetener, like agave, etc.)
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp pure vanilla extract (or a tsp of raw ground vanilla bean)
- ½ tbsp kahlua (optional: adds a deeper flavor, but not raw or paleo. For raw/paleo version, add another pinch of raw ground vanilla bean)
- ⅛ tsp black pepper
Topping Layer:
- ½ cup coconut oil, very soft or liquified (but not hot!)
- ¼ cup cocoa powder
- 3 tbsp maple syrup (or a raw liquid sweetener, like agave, etc.)
- 1 tsp pure vanilla extract
- 1 tsp kahlua (for raw/paleo version, add a pinch of raw ground vanilla bean instead)
Optional Toppings:
- cacao nibs
- salt flakes
- Other suggestions: fresh raspberries, coconut shavings, chocolate shavings, etc.
Instructions
- Process all cake ingredients in a food processor until everything is thoroughly combined and mixture begins to form a ball. Transfer all ingredients into a 6″ springform pan and press down firmly and evenly to form cake into shape (see notes below on alternative pans***). For pressing, I recommend initially using a spoon, and then placing a piece or parchment paper on top and press the cake down even more using a flat bottomed cup to get the surface nice, even, and smooth. Place the cake in the freezer while working on the next step.
- Place all topping layer ingredients in a glass bowl (I use a tall measuring cup). Mix with a fork until all the ingredients are incorporated and the mixture is smooth. This can take a few minutes — just keep stirring until there are no clumps left behind.
- Remove cake from freezer. Pour this chocolate mixture over the cake and use a spatula or the back of a spoon to spread it evenly and smoothly over the top. If you want your toppings to set into the cake, top the cake now (otherwise, if you’re using fresh toppings, like berries, etc., add them on prior to serving instead).
- Place the cake in the freezer for at least 2 hours to let it set and chill. Remove from pan (carefully, as it can stick to the sides a bit; careful loosening will prevent any cracks in the cake). Place on a serving plate, top with any additional toppings if using, and keep the cake refrigerated until ready to serve.***
Notes
*For soaking the dates: soak for a few hours in warm water (or cover with boiling water and soak 15-20 minutes if you don’t care for the recipe to remain raw).
**If you don’t have a 6″ springform pan, feel free to use any small container or dish of a similar size (a tupperware container would work well, or a small pan). Just make sure you line it with some parchment or wax paper first so that it’s easier to remove the cake later. Note that the wider the dish, the flatter the cake — the shape is up to you.
***Storage notes: this cake holds up well at room temperature and will not melt, so refrigeration isn’t a must so long as it’s not super hot where you are. I just prefer it chilled + it’s a bit easier to slice gracefully when cold.
Happy {un}baking!
xo Audrey
~~
Disclaimer: this post contains affiliat lints to the following products: almond flour, medjool dates, cocoa powder, maple syrup, salt, pure vanilla extract, raw ground vanilla bean, black pepper, coconut oil, cacao nibs, salt flakes, food processor, springform pan.
Calling this a cake is a stretch, its more brownie . The pepper brings nothing to it either
★
Too bad it wasn’t to your liking, Chris, but thanks for sharing . I, and many others find it works well as a no-bake and allergy-friendly “cake” alternative + this is an “unconventional” baking website after all ;)
If you’re interested in conventional/traditional chocolate cakes, there are lots of baked gluten-free vegan cakes on my blog. Here are a few examples:
https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/duncan-hines-style-chocolate-cake-gluten-free-vegan-refined-sugar-free/
https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/gluten-free-vegan-texas-sheet-cake/
https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/blood-orange-bundt-cake-with-salted-chocolate-ganache-gluten-free-vegan-refined-sugar-free/
etc.
This recipe looks great! Looking forward to making it for my husband’s birthday.
It can be difficult to get almond flour where I live. Could I use almond meal instead?
Hi Kate, yes absolutely :) Enjoy it!
This recipe is totally perfect. The most wonderful chocolate cake that I ever did in my life. Seriously! !! I did 3 times and really love each bite. And I will definitely do it again and again. I really recommend this one.
It is really easy to do and looks like a bought cake. Thank you.
★★★★★
Aw, thanks so much for the lovely comment — best cake feedback ever :)
Hi Audrey, just found your blog as I searched for an eggless flourless cake to make for my boyfriend’s birthday tomorrow. This looks so good. I perused your other recipes and I am excited that I found you and have become a follower on IG and subscribed here. Your desserts not only look so inviting and delicious, but have beautiful photography, too. I’m looking forward to these being go-to recipes for when a sweet treat is needed.
Thanks so much for the sweet comment, Denise. I hope your boyfriend enjoyed his b-day cake! :)
First time making this cake – I highly recommend processing your almonds first until they are flour like, then adding the rest of your ingredients. This way you aren’t putting a huge strain on your processed. Mines very unhappy. The cake it’s self is fucking delicious everything that I wanted! I decorated mine with almond slicers turned into flowers and dusting of cocoa powder. Great recipe!
★★★
Hi there, thanks so much for sharing your feedback. I’m glad you enjoyed the cake! It sounds very pretty with the almond flowers on top.
I don’t use whole almonds in the base usually, but almond flour, as whole almonds blended in would make for a chunky cake as you say. It’s a good tip to pre-grind them into a meal first if you only have whole almonds to work with.
I’am verry thankfull with you for sharing this recipe.
I feel so blessed to find the correct cake for my toddler who suffers from eczema and os allergic to dairy, food colorants and several conservatives.
I used organic ingredients for this recipe, since he and I follow a plant based diet.
Thank you 🍃💚🍃thank you🍃💚🍃 thank you🍃💚
★★★★★
Hi Dora, so happy to hear that both you and your little one could enjoy this cake — thanks so much for the lovely comment :)
The top layer turned white🤔☹️
Hi Barbara. Sorry the cake didn’t work out for you as planned. I’m not sure whether you mean the topping got frost bite and turned white as a result? If so, then sounds like you would have needed to cover it or put it in a freezer-safe container to set to avoid having that happen. It never happens to me, but I’ve seen similar things happen in freezers that have a lot of frost build up.
Otherwise, assuming freezer is not a problem, then it sounds like the fat separated from the rest of the contents in the topping, which can happen if one or more of the ingredients are hot or too warm (is it possible your coconut oil was warmed up beforehand and not cooled back down to room temperature?), or if somehow water got into the mixture, which can have the effect of pushing the oils up. It should still be edible, the white you’re seeing is just solidified coconut oil. Can just dust the cake with a layer of cocoa powder to keep it looking pretty and still enjoy it.
I looks really delicious!
I’m allergic to dates, can I use dried figs instead?
Or do you think the Topping Layer will go well with your “Fig and Chocolate Flourless Cake”?
Thanks in advance!
★★★★★
Hi Greeshma. I think the topping would be fantastic with the fig & chocolate flourless cake. Or you can just make this one with figs :) Enjoy!
Wow this cake looks amazing!
I will be making as is but I’m also needing a birthday cake for 2 teens with nut allergies…..
Do you think the almond flour could be substituted for anything else??
Hi Renee,
Are seeds out of the question as well? The closest thing I can think would work well would be sunflower seeds.
Otherwise, here are a few nut-free alternatives from the blog that maybe can work:
Classic baked chocolate cake: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/duncan-hines-style-chocolate-cake-gluten-free-vegan-refined-sugar-free/
Baked chocolate sheet cake: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/gluten-free-vegan-texas-sheet-cake/
Raw tigernut cheesecake: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/raw-tigernut-cheesecake-nut-free-dairy-free/
Black bean chocolate cheesecake (can potentially top this one with the chocolate topping from the recipe above): https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/black-bean-chocolate-cake-no-bake-recipe/
Baked Coconut Tres Leches cake: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/gluten-free-dairy-free-coconut-tres-leches-cake/
No-bake blackberry coconut cake: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/blackberry-coconut-cake-no-bake/
Sunflower seed butter cheesecake (has seeds): https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/nut-free-sunflower-seed-butter-cheesecake/
Raspberry whip crepe cake: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/gluten-free-vegan-crepe-cake-recipe/
Nut-free raw carrot cake: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/recipes/vegan-carrot-cake-nut-free-no-bake/
I love the ‘happy unbaking’ tag!!!
This looks so delicious
Thanks Lisa :)
I am so intrigued that this cake is no bake! Well, I don’t mind that at all, because my patience is somewhat limited! XD I also don’t mind that this flourless chocolate cake tastes almost like a brownie, because I LOOOOOOOVE brownies! My birthday is National Brownie Day, so it’s a divine sign that I’d love them!
Ha. That does sound like a sign — what a great day to be born on ;)
this topping is seriously one of the best raw chocolate mousse-like topping recipes ever! incredible consistency and so perfectly decadent tasty. i made a double batch for topping this cake so there was extra lots! thanks for sharing!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it. I love that topping a lot as well, and it naturally ends up on a lot of things ;) Thanks for the lovely feedback!
Hello!This cake looks awesome. I would love to make it cake for my son’s birthday. Just wondering If I make the cake in advance can I leave it in freezer and take it out one day before his birthday ?Would that work?Also I’m bit afraid to use the black pepper :-)
Thank you!
Hi Paula, yes, you can definitely make this cake in advance and freeze it. As for the pepper, if it makes you nervous, you can just omit it :) It’s not very noticeable — just adds a bit of an accent flavor to the chocolate cake.
Tried this as my first raw cake and it’s absolutely fab!
Definitely would try other of your recipes.Yummy.
★★★★★
Hi Sue — yay for first raw cake and I’m so glad you liked it. Thank you for the lovely feedback. Enjoy it! :)
Hi Audrey,
Will this work if i use blender instead of food processor?
Thank you
I think the dryness of the mixture would overwhelm the blender, so I’d say best to go with a food processor in this case (unless you do it in very small batches and pulse to mix so that the mixture doesn’t get over-processed).
Turned out so delicious!! I used raw honey as my sweetener instead of maple syrup and used cacao powder which I have an excess of! Tastes amazing and definitely dangerous as its too easy to eat and I think still pretty heavy on the calories lol
★★★★★
Thanks so much for sharing what worked for you, Talia. Glad you enjoyed it :)
Hi!
I’m Making this for a birthday on saturday, as was wondering if you think it will taste just as good if I make it a couple of days before and keep it in the fridge.
Love your recipes!
Thank you:)
Hi Makenzie — so sorry I wasn’t able to get to your question in time, but yes, you can make this a few days in advance without any problems — it keeps well.
Awesome. Had a problem with the icing separating, but wonderful flavour. So rich
★★★★
Hi Bev. Thanks for the feedback — I’m glad you enjoyed it :)
I’m sorry the frosting didn’t work out as planned though. The frosting separating usually indicates that the oil may have been too hot (as it then can cook the sugar and make it clump up with the rest of the solids and separate from the oil), which can happen either if the oil was too hot when added, or sometimes if this mixture is blended on high speed for a while and begins to warm up. Actually on that note, I’m glad you pointed this out — I’ll edit the instructions to make this clearer (as I’ve updated other similar recipes to just make the topping by hand with a regular good ‘ol stir with a fork to avoid the risk of this happening altogether).
These recipes are exciting and will be great to try. I’m don’t have dates, so I will try apple butter in place of them, cooked down well. Would love to learn what others have done.
Also can I use pitted deglet noor dates instead? What is the difference?
Thanks so much! Really excited to make this, Audrey!
Hi!
Thanks for the recipe. If I don’t have vanilla beans can I substitute it with something else?
This sounds so good but in addition to wheat,eggs,yeast, soy, vinegar, oats etc etc I am allergic to dates, grapes and any dried fruit. Can anybody come up with a substitute for the dates in this recipe? Ironically I am not allergic to dairy, nuts or cocoa. Any ideas would be appreciated!
Hi Yvonne. It would be a bit tricky for me to make a recommendation without having tried it out first, since the dates are a central ingredient to this recipe (they add sweetness, texture, and act as a binder). But if I had to take a stab at it I would increase the maple syrup to 1/2 cup and add 1 1/2 cup (or a bit more as needed) coconut sugar to replace the dates. When you’re processing it you want it to turn into a fine sticky crumble that begins to lump into a ball — if the mixture seems too wet for that, add more cocoa powder. If it’s too dry, add a bit more maple syrup (or you can add a bit of almond butter even for creaminess, or just a splash of non-dairy milk). Process again. Adjust as needed until it can “ball-up” and then proceed with the remaining directions. Good luck with it and let me know how you go and what you do if you give it a try!
This looks so amazing – I want to make sure I make it correctly; is there a difference between cacao powder (for the cake layer) and cocoa powder (for the topping)? If so, I will be sure to get both.
Hi Kelly,
Sorry, I must have edited a part of the recipe at some point, and left the cacao powder words in that part by accident (just fixed it). I’d recommend using regular cocoa powder (alkalized / Dutch processed is best) throughout the recipe (though both will work).
I just found over the years that cacao powder (a raw form of cocoa powder) can sometimes be quite acidic depending on the batch you get, and can alter the recipe, so I made the switch to using alkalized cocoa powder in these no-bake cakes just to be on the safe side.
I absolutely love this cake and it was a major hit with everyone whenever I made it. In addition to suggested toppings, orange zest (I use zest from one orange) works really well. Thank you Audrey for this and other wonderful recipes you shared with us!
★★★★★
Mmm… orange zest sounds amazing. Thank you so much for the lovely feedback, Diana — so glad you’ve been enjoying it :)
Do you have nutritional info on this recipe for no bake no sugar flourless chocolate cake?
★★★★
Hi Donna, no, I don’t. You can use an online recipe calculator (they’re free) to get whatever nutritional info you’re looking for.
Hi Audrey
I would like to try out this recipe but I’m in the UK only know how to measure ingredients using weighing scales. Please could you also provide the measurements in grams and ml?
Many Thanks
Hi Nicole,
I’m so sorry but I don’t know what the weight measurements would be as I just used cup measurements to make this. You could try an online conversion calculator to find the measurement equivalents though via google. Sorry couldn’t be of more help in this regard.
P.S. I explained a bit about why I use cups in the faq section here: https://www.unconventionalbaker.com/faq/
Just buy a set of measuring cups- there’s too many fabulous recipes to be missing out!
And it’s so much easier than using scales, you’ll never want to do it again! You can get them everywhere, even in Poundland!
Hi Audrey,
Just recently discovered your site while searching for a condensed milk substitute, don’t know why I never came upon it before as every time I search a recipe I specify ‘gluten free and sugar free’, anyway what a delight to happen upon such wonderful creative recipes and stunning photos. Kudos to you!!
I just wondering if the almond flour in your recipes (not only this one) is simply ground almonds, or if it is the defatted variety?? Big price differencebetween them here so I’m hoping it’s not the latter ;)
Hey there — welcome to the blog :)
Actually, I’ve made this with both kinds and both work great — so feel free to go ahead and use the economy version :) I can’t give a blanket answer for all the recipes, but for all the ones that come to mind from the blog either ground almonds or the de-fatted flour should work just fine.
Audrey, would cashew nuts or pistachios work..these are the only nuts my son can have
Absolutely, Sharon :) Either one will work great here.
To substitute the food processor, would a handmixer work just as well if I mix it for a long period of time? I just have a bullet, so I would blend up the dates really well in that machine and then mix the other ingredients with the handmixer. With that ruin your recipe?
Hi Susanna,
The food processor would be much better, because it doesn’t just mix but also breaks things down in the process and helps them bind better. The mixture is also fairly dry, so not sure the hand held mixer would handle it well, even with the dates broken down. If it were me and I had no processor, I’d do as you said and blend up the dates in the bullet, and then do a very thorough combining in a bowl by hand, really kneading it as thoroughly as I could to make sure it’s all distributed quite evenly. I can see that working and would give it a try in a pinch.
Hi, what do you use as the liquid for blending the ingredients in the cake base? I tried water, which made the cake a little too soft.
Hi a,
I only use the ingredients listed, so no water added. I process it all in a food processor though, not a blender, which is meant for processing drier ingredients. If you try to blend it in a blender, I can see it struggling. Not sure if that’s what you’ve used? I don’t have a very good food processor at the moment, but it’s able to handle a cake like this no problem, so most processors should be fine for the purpose. If you are having trouble with this in a processor, I wonder if you just need to keep pausing to scrape down the sides and let it keep process until the mixture combines properly. Let me know if you’re still having issues. Hope this helps!
What can you use instead of coconut oil?
Hi Danielle,
You can try cacao butter — you’ll get a very nice strong chocolatey flavor to the cake that way. Otherwise, a dairy-free butter will work too. You basically want something that will firm the cake up in the freezer and give the cake a nice smoothness (and coconut butter, cacao butter, and dairy-free butter all do that).
Hi Audrey,
Thank you so much for this recipe! I made it for my sister’s birthday and it was absolutely delicious!!
I was wondering about storage. Do you know how long it will stay good in the refrigerator and/or if it is possible to freeze and eat later?
Thanks!
Caitlin
★★★★★
Hey Caitlin,
So, so happy to hear you enjoyed it! It’s become a tradition to make it for some family members’ birthdays for us too :)
It’ll keep well covered in the fridge for a few weeks, but you can also definitely freeze it. It thaws out very well — just recommend pre-slicing it first, so it’s easier to defrost a slice or two at a time. But you’re good to go both ways.
Thank you for taking the time to leave feedback — appreciate it!
hi, i wanna make this for a friend, can i use blueberries instead of the dates? if so how many? still 2 cups?
thanks :)
Hi Emily, do you mean dried blueberries? If so it will work if you soak them for a bit first to soften them up. I’d use the same amount — 2 cups. If you’re looking for a floruless chocolate cake made with fresh blueberries, by some odd coincidence my blogging pal Natalie @ Feasting on Fruit just shared a recipe for a blueberry flourless chocolate cake that looks amazing — check out her recipe here {note: I haven’t made that recipe yet, though it’s on my to make ASAP list :) }.
Coming back to this recipe, most dried fruit/berries will work provided they are softened enough to blend. You can also do a mix — some dates {because they’re typically sweeter} + some blueberries, for example.
Either way, I hope you find something good to make for your friend! :)
I was just searching for inspiration for a flourless cake recipe and I thought “Oh wow, a raw version! And it looks so pretty!” And I clicked on it and whadya know it here I am! I should’ve known a beatuiful, chocolate, raw-that-doesn’t-look-raw cake must’ve been made by Audrey :)
Hehe, thanks Natalie! :) What a funny coincidence. Hope you’re going well. I’ve had a very scarce time catching up with my online world these last two weeks so haven’t had a chance to see what everyone is up to — can’t wait to catch up on all your goodies! :)
Audrey!! This cake is absolutely stunning and sounds out of this world. Love the addition of kahlua! Yum yum yum.
Thanks so much, Genevieve! :) It’s one of my favorite go-to recipes.
This recipe is so good! I made it last night for a dinner party and everyone loved it. It was absolutely delicious! Can’t wait to make it again!
Thanks so much, Jessica! That’s awesome — so glad to hear everyone at the party loved it! :)
This looks SO delicious, and lovely. I shared it and saved it into my own messages so I can try it soon!
Thanks so much, Diane! :) Enjoy it!
Hello, what can I use instead of almond flour? It’s so expensive in my country…maybe coconut? Oat? Quinoa? Thank you!
Hi Natalia. The nut flour gives this cake its texture and flavor, so if there are any kind of nuts that are affordable that you can grind down into a flour for this recipe, that would work best.
I wouldn’t use oats — though I haven’t tried it for this recipe, I’ve had a bad experience using oats in similar recipes before, as they tend to develop a strange and unpleasant flavor after a day or so… Cooked quinoa could work, but I’d go with cooked black beans over quinoa as they blend better with the chocolate flavor and look.
I think personally, if it were me, I would go with nuts (like almonds, peanuts, brazil nuts, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.) as my first choice. My next choice would be to use coconut oil (roughly 6 tbsp, liquified) + either cooked black beans (something like 2 1/2 cups) OR 2 1/2 cups peanut butter or almond butt… See More
Just saw this and really want to try this recipe out! Looks amazing :) Similar question however…would coconut flour work instead of almond flour?
Hi Marie, I don’t think coconut would work. Well, maybe it could, but you’d basically need to redevelop the whole recipe because coconut flour works differently to every other flour in baking. It’s extremely absorbent and tends to such all the moisture out, so the amount is crucial. If you were to try it though (I’d never deter someone from exploring :) ), I’d start with 1 cup coconut flour and see what happens… and add more as needed from there. And maybe actually I’d blend all the other ingredients together first and then add the coconut flour afterwards and process again. Those are just initial thoughts — how I’d approach it :)
Let me know if you try it — I’d love to hear how you go.
Oh my goodness this looks incredible!
Thanks, Grace! :)
This looks so delicious!
Thanks so much, Peggy! :)
Welcome to Full Plate Thursday, we are so happy to meet you! Your Raw Flourless Chocolate Cake looks delicious, we would just love it. Hope you are having a great day and thanks so much for sharing this awesome post with Full Plate Thursday.
Come Back Soon!
Miz Helen
Thanks so much, Miz Helen! See you over at Full Plate Thursday ;)
What an amazing looking cake! I’m awed by how healthy it is too! Thank you so much for sharing this delicious recipe with us at the Hearth and Soul hop. Pinning and will share :-)
Thanks, April! :) And thanks so much for hosting Hearth and Soul! So glad to have discovered it.
Thanks for linking up at our Gluten Free Fridays Party! I have tweeted and pinned your entry to our Gluten Free Fridays board on Pinterest! :) I can’t wait to see what you share next time!
-Cindy
This looks amazing! I will try this out with my family this weekend. Thank you for taking the time to post! I am always looking for gluten-free recipes!
Thanks so much, Janelle. Enjoy it! :)